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Why did Thomas More oppose Henry VIII’s annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon?

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Portrait of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger, showing More in dark robes and a black hat, wearing a gold chain of office, seated against a green and yellow draped background. — Thomas More *Sir Thomas More*, oil on panel by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1527; in the Frick Collection, New York City.

Thomas More opposed King Henry VIII’s annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon primarily because his own study of the matter led him to the firm conviction that Catherine was the king’s true wife.1

When Henry VIII presented the Bible to More in 1527, arguing that his marriage was void because it violated a biblical injunction against marrying a brother’s widow, More attempted to share the king’s perspective but ultimately could not agree. Despite the king's pressure, More maintained his position that the marriage was valid.21

This disagreement was a matter of conscience for More, who remained committed to the unity of the church. His opposition deepened as the king’s efforts to secure the annulment led to broader assaults on the church, including the rejection of papal supremacy. More refused to acknowledge the king as the head of the Church of England and would not take the oath associated with the Act of Succession, which declared the marriage to Catherine void and the union with Anne Boleyn valid.34